Ethics concerns raised over school closure Ethics concerns raised over school closure (October 01, 2004)

Board questions whether trustees should serve on task force

By Julie O'Shea

Some on the Mountain View-Whisman school board have begun to question whether it's ethical for a trustee to sit on a task force that will ultimately hand recommendations back to the board.

The question was raised Tuesday during a board discussion about the district's school closure threat. Trustee Ellen Wheeler volunteered to sit on the school closure task force last year and wants to remain a member when the group reconvenes Oct. 12, its first public meeting in months.

But trustee Gloria Higgins said she doesn't think that is a good idea. Higgins recently attended a county school board association meeting where education leaders were discussing school closures in general, and she said she heard someone liken a trustee's participation on such task forces to that of a judge in a jury room.

"I volunteered to do this because the superintendent asked me to volunteer," Wheeler countered. "I don't think at the 11th hour we should change the rules."

Board President Rose Filicetti agreed with Wheeler, saying that while Higgins brought up a valid point, the issue should have been reviewed at the beginning of the process and not when it was nearly complete. The board directed staff to make room for such a discussion at a later meeting date.

In the meantime, Wheeler will be permitted to resume her duties on the school closure task force, which consists of teachers, parents and administrators. The group, which met for more than 100 hours last year, put together a list of criteria for the district to consider when making its decision. Some of the issues considered by the task force included academic achievement, cultural, ethnic and language diversity, alternative programs and health and safety issues.

The group made no recommendations to the board at that time. However, on Jan.6, Superintendent Eleanor Yick is scheduled to present the board with two recommendations for potential school closures. By Jan. 20, Yick will hand down her final recommendation.

"Closing a school is not an easy decision," Yick said. "It's a disruptive decision. It's disruptive to the community."

However, a school closure may be the only way the district will be able to balance its 2005-2006 budget, officials have repeatedly said. District enrollment, which is currently around 4,300, is on a steady decline, and if it doesn't pick up, administrators say they will be forced to close a campus.

Mountain View-Whisman successfully passed a $1.6-million parcel tax last March. But those funds are currently being contested in Santa Clara County Superior Court. And even if a judge lets the schools keep the money, district finance chief Rebecca Wright said the extra funds may not be enough to keep all nine campuses running.

Yick's school closure timetable, which is being reviewed by the school board, includes at least two community forums.

E-mail Julie O'Shea at joshea@mv-voice.com

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